A New Life Behind Bars - A Prison Retrofit From Prison to Community Resource

Abstract

Sustainability practices in design development are a common goal in urban settings, especially in an environment such as the arid Southwest U.S. where resources are limited. Here, sunshine and heat are abundant where water resources are low. So, how can we use these circumstances and constraints to our advantage in future designs or in potential retrofits? Institutional establishments with long-term residents, such as prisons, which use a significant amount of resources can reduce their energy, food and water costs by using sustainable practices. These practices can help reduce the costs of prisoner housing and eventually lower costs to tax payers. This project focuses on a hypothetical retrofit of the Wilmot Department of Corrections (Wilmot D.O.C.) prison facility in Tucson, AZ.